DOUGLAS COUNTY
CROSSOVER YOUTH
PRACTICE MODEL
Addressing the
Needs of Multi System Youth:
Strengthening
the connections
between Child
Welfare and
Juvenile Justice .
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HISTORY OF CROSSOVER YOUTH PRACTICE
MODEL IN COLORADO
 National project supported by The Casey Family
Programs and the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform
at Georgetown University’s Public Policy Institute
have been partnering since 2007 to address the
unique issues presented by Crossover Youth.
 Denver County was the initial site in Colorado.
 Douglas County is part of the first cohort along with
Broomfield, Larimer, and Morgan Counties, which
began in August 2011.
 The second cohort includes El Paso, Jefferson, Rio
Grande, Alamosa, and Conejos counties.
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TARGET POPULATION
 A Crossover Youth is defined as a youth who has
current or simultaneous involvement in both the
child welfare and juvenile justice systems in the
following ways;
 Youth initially involved in the child welfare system
who are subsequently referred to and become
involved in the juvenile justice system, and
 Youth who are initially involved in the juvenile
justice system who are subsequently referred to and
become involved in the child welfare system.
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WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT CROSSOVER
YOUTH?
 They are often in the child welfare system for long
periods of time.
 Most are placed out of the home and often
experience multiple placements.
 They are often truant and/or performing poorly in
school.
 Over half are detained prior to adjudication.
 Research on Crossover youth increasingly points to
the necessity of multi-system collaboration to
comprehensively address the risks and needs of
Crossover Youth.
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GOALS OF THE PRACTICE MODEL
 Reduce the number of youth placed in out -of-home
care,
 Reduce the use of congregate care,
 Reduce the disproportionate representation of
children of color, and
 Reduce the number of youth being
dually adjudicated.
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ADDITIONAL GOALS
 Increased communication amongst agencies.
 Increased cooperation, coordination and
integration of services provided by Douglas
County Department of Human Services,
Juvenile Justice and any other youth serving
agencies.
 Increased youth and family engagement.
 Increased collaboration in joint assessment,
case planning and case supervision.
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SUPPORTING DATA
 Douglas County Data ;
 Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice currently have 80 shared
cases,
 Of those 80 cases, 23 of them have both Dependency &
Neglect and Delinquency cases,
 Of those 23 cases, 19 of them had a Delinquency case first.
 Douglas County Human Services currently has 40
children/youth placed out of their
homes in congregate care.
 29 of those children/youth
have a delinquency case.
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ACTION STEPS TO ACHIEVE GOALS
• Consistent Court Oversight:
 One magistrate handling both Delinquency and
Dependency and Neglect cases.
 Avoiding inconsistent orders and multiple hearings
• Increased Collaboration:
 Coordinated case planning with families and
agencies.
 Family engagement through joint case planning.
• Improved Service Delivery:
 Expedited service delivery
 Identifying the right service at the right time.
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CROSSOVER YOUTH PRACTICE MODEL PILOT
 Phase 1
 Arrest, Identification, and Detention
 A youth is identified through contact with:
 the Juvenile Assessment Center, or
 the District Attorney’s Office, if youth has been issued a
summons, or
 assigned Probation Officer and/or Pre-Trial Case Manager
requests Child Welfare involvement.
 Detention Hearing
 The Pre-Trial Case Manager and/or assigned
Caseworker will be present at the detention
hearing to address the court as needed.
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CROSSOVER YOUTH PRACTICE MODEL PILOT
 Pre-Trial Release will be ordered on all Crossover
Youth, unless a Crossover Youth is placed out of
home or is already on Probation. Pre-Trial will
begin working with the youth and family
immediately, even if youth remains in detention.
 Pre-Trial Release Case Manger will distribute the
Crossover Youth Practice Model brochure to the
youth and family, which includes information about
the Crossover Youth process.
 A multi-system release will be signed at court
hearing.
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CROSSOVER YOUTH PRACTICE MODEL PILOT
 Phase 2
 Case Assignment, Joint Assessment, and Planning
 Within 3-5 business days of a youth being identified as a
Crossover Youth, a coordinated joint meeting, including the
youth, family, Pre-Trial Case Manager or Probation Officer,
and Department of Human Services Case Worker, will be
scheduled with the family at their home or at the detention
center, to begin family engagement and case planning.
 Guardians ad Litem or other individuals may be included, at
the family’s request.
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CROSSOVER YOUTH PRACTICE MODEL PILOT
 The assigned workers (Department of Human Services Case
Worker and Pre-Trial Case Manager or Probation Officer) will
complete a joint assessment of the youth and family,
Review of behavior patterns over time;
Examination of the family strengths and protective factors;
Assessment of the overall needs of youth and family that affect
safety, permanency, and well-being;
Consideration of contributing factors in the home, such as
domestic violence, substance abuse, mental health, chronic
health problems, and poverty;
The Colorado Juvenile Risk Assessment (CJRA) will be completed
to identify criminogenic factors including peer group, school
performance, family dynamics, substance abuse, self -regulation,
history of delinquent behaviors;
Review of information gathered through other assessments from
partnering agencies.
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CROSSOVER YOUTH PRACTICE MODEL PILOT
 Family and Child Engagement Support (FACES)
 A multi-disciplinary team meeting is requested by
Case Lead within 5-10 business days after the
completed home visit or at the detention center.
 A FACES meeting will be held every Wednesday afternoon.
 The meetings will be held at Douglas County Department
of Human Services or the detention center.
 FACES referrals need to submitted by noon on Friday.
 An agenda will be sent out by 3pm on the Friday prior to
the FACES meeting.
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CROSSOVER YOUTH PRACTICE MODEL PILOT
• Joint Case Planning
 Identify need areas and goals, tasks, interventions
and services.
 Focus interventions on assisting parents/caregivers
to improve their parenting skills and provide youth
with opportunities to change their high risk
behaviors.
 Action steps should be focused, time limited,
behaviorally specific, obtainable, understandable,
relevant, and agreed to by youth and family.
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CROSSOVER YOUTH PRACTICE MODEL PILOT
 Phase 3
 Coordinated Case Supervision & Ongoing Assessment
 A transition meeting will occur with the Pre-Trial Case Manager
and the Probation Officer within 3-5 business days after
sentencing to exchange information.
 Ongoing monthly contact will occur between all professionals
involved to monitor progress of the case plan.
 Meetings will occur with the youth, family, Case Worker, Pre -Trial
Case Manager/Probation Officer, Guardians Ad Litem; including:
Prior to court hearings
Significant changes in family dynamics
Per request of a family member and/or any professional
 Assigned Caseworker will complete a written review from date of
completed case plan every 90 days and distributed as needed.
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CROSSOVER YOUTH PRACTICE MODEL PILOT
 Phase 3
 Planning for Permanency and Case Closure
 Begin planning for permanency at the onset of a
case;
 Ensure continued joint case planning between all
systems involved throughout the life of the case;
 Embed learning opportunities for independent
living skills and Permanency Roundtables for age
appropriate youth throughout service delivery of
the case.
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QUESTIONS?
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THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN SUPPORTED BY;
 Chief Judge William Sylvester & Magistrate Beth Elliott Dumler
 18 th Judicial District Probation Department
 Douglas County Department of Human Services
 Juvenile Assessment Center
 Senate Bill-94
 House Bill 1451 Collaborative Management Program
 Douglas County Guardians Ad Litem
 Douglas County School District
 Arapahoe Douglas Mental Health Network
 Douglas County Sheriff’s Of fice
 18 th Judicial District Attorney’s Of fice
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WORKS CITED
 http://cjjr.georgetown.edu/resources.html
 Herz & Ryan, 2008b;Halemba, Siegel, Lord &
Zawacki 2004; Kelley, Thornberry, & Smith, 1997,
Saeturn & Swain 2009.
 Wiig & Tuell, 2004, Siegel, Lord, 2004; Halemba,
2005; American Bar Association 2008; Herz & Ryan,
2008; Bilchik & Nash, 2009.
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